Crestwood’s Miles Metz (3) drives the baseline against Wyoming Area’s Bruno Pizzano.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Wyoming Area’s Drew Keating (11) hits for two points in second half as Crestwood’s Gio Barna defends.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Wyoming Area’s Luke Kopetchny, left, attempts to block the shot by Crestwood’s Jack Rodgers.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Crestwood’s Ayden Agapito scores two of his team-high 16 points as the Comets defeated Wyoming Area 55-41 in Wyoming Valley Conference Tournament semifinals.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Crestwood’s Ayden Agapito (24) blocks a shot by Wyoming Area’s Collin Casterlin (1).
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
PLAINS TWP. — The baskets kept coming. Seven in a row without a miss.
The stingiest defense in Wyoming Valley Conference boys basketball wasn’t deterred Thursday night. Instead, Crestwood made a couple tweaks and Wyoming Area’s avalanche of points came to a halt.
Crestwood then methodically pulled away for a 55-41 victory in the WVC Tournament semifinals at Wilkes-Barre Area High School.
Division 1 runner-up Crestwood (16-7) will play for the tournament championship for the first time since 2020. The Comets will face Division 1 and two-time tournament champion Dallas (20-3) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hazleton Area High School. Dallas defeated Division 2 runner-up Holy Redeemer 55-34 in the other semifinal.
Division 2 champion Wyoming Area (22-3) rode the hot shooting of divisional scoring champion Luke Kopetchny to a 16-7 lead after one quarter. Koptechny scored 14 points in the initial eight minutes. The Warriors’ only miss was a desperation 3-pointer by Kopetchny as time expired.
Kopetchny had just a pair of 3-pointers the rest of the way.
“First of all, I switched Ayden Agapito on him. A little more length,” Crestwood coach Mark Atherton said. “I thought we had a little more help. The other guys helped a little bit better.”
The change had a trickle-down effect.
Crestwood’s defense held Wyoming Area without a field goal until midway through the second quarter when Kopetchny hit a 3-pointer. The offense awoke as four players each had two baskets in the period. And Jack Rodgers did what he does best — rebound instead of chasing Kopetchny all over the court on the defensive end.
Rodgers had a game-high 13 boards as Crestwood outrebounded the Warriors 29-18.
“I know I have a limited role, especially offensively,” Rodgers said. “First off, my job is to rebound every time. Defensively, I have to box out every time and I try to crash offensive boards as much as possible. Every second-chance shot I can get for these other guys is another opportunity to score.”
Brady Johnson’s inside bucket gave Crestwood the lead for good, 25-23 with 2:04 left until halftime. The Comets went into the locker room ahead 27-24.
“I told our guys we have to get the ball inside the paint,” said Atherton, whose team was 7-for-8 inside the arc in the second quarter. “We got to go to the basket, we have to create a little bit more and free up our shooters a little more.”
Wyoming Area whittled a nine-point deficit in the third quarter down to 44-40 with five minutes left in the fourth when Shane Pepe hit a 3-pointer. The Warriors managed just one point the rest of the way and Crestwood freshman Miles Metz, the WVC’s best free-throw shooter, closed out the game by going 5-for-5 from the foul line in the final 69 seconds.
Agapito finished with 16 points, with all coming after the second quarter as Crestwood outscored Wyoming Area 48-25 over the final three quarters. He also helped out on the boards with seven rebounds.
Kopetchny finished with 25 points followed by Drew Keating with 11. Wyoming Area shot 3-of-21 from 3-point range after the first quarter.
Neither the semifinals or championship game will affect the District 2 power rankings to determine seedings. Wyoming Area will be the third seed in Class 4A. Crestwood will be the second seed in Class 5A.
Wyoming Seminary 56, Lake-Lehman 44
Lucas Latorre scored a season-high 22 points and RJ Gernhardt added 15 as Wyoming Seminary completed its regular season with a victory over Lake-Lehman.
The Blue Knights finished 5-9 in Division 2 and 8-14 overall. They will be the fifth seed in the District 2 Class 2A playoffs.
Sophomore Val Cassano scored a career-high 20 for Lehman, which finished 1-13 in Division 2 and 3-19 overall. The Black Knights failed to make the D2-4A tournament.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Northwest 46, Sullivan County 25
Ashlyn Hermanofski scored 12 points and Natalia Ninotti had 10 as Northwest finished its regular season at 17-5 with a win over Sullivan County.
The Rangers will be either the third or fourth seed in the District 4 Class 2A playoffs.
BOYS BASKETBALL
WVC Tournament Semifinals
Crestwood 55, Wyoming Area 41
CRESTWOOD (55) – Gio Barna 3 2-2 8, Miles Metz 3 5-5 12, Connor Wagaman 2 0-0 5, Jack Rodgers 4 1-3 9, Ayden Agapito 8 0-0 16, Brady Johnson 2 0-0 5, Avery Brace 0 0-0 0, Zach Sechleer 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 8-10 55.
WYOMING AREA (41) – Shane Pepe 1 0-0 3, Luke Kopetchny 8 5-6 25, Drew Keating 4 3-8 11, Mitchell Rusinchak 0 0-0 0, Bruno Pizzano 0 0-0 0, Collin Casterlin 1 0-0 2, Noah Kostik 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 8-14 41.
Crestwood`7`20`13`15 – 55
Wyoming Area`16`8`10`7 – 41
Three-point goals: CRE 3 (Metz, Wagaman, Johnson). WA 5 (Pepe, Kopetchny 4).
Regular Season
Wyoming Seminary 56, Lake-Lehman 44
LAKE-LEHMAN (44) – Alex Smith 2 0-0 4, Landon James 0 0-0 0, Hunter Palka 4 0-0 11, Robbie Wilson 2 0-2 5, Val Cassano 9 2-2 20, Noah Corcoran 1 0-0 3, Gavin Smigielski 1 0-0 2. Totals 19 2-4 44,
WYOMING SEMINARY (56) – RJ Gernhardt 6 0-0 15, Lucas Latorre 8 6-6 22, Cash Hansen-Richart 2 0-2 5, Joe McCrae 3 0-0 9, John Redington 1 1-2 3, Luka Bogdanovic 1 0-0 2, Evan Davis 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 7-10 56.
Lake-Lehman`14`16`6`8 – 44
Wyoming Seminary`16`12`15`12 – 56
Three-point goals: LL 5 (Palka 3, Wilson, Corcoran). WS 7 (Gernhardt 3, Lattore 3, Hansen-Richart).
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Northwest 46, Sullivan County 25
SULLIVAN COUNTY (25) – Eva Fresno 5 1-2 14, Ansley Baldwin 1 0-0 3, Lily McCarty 3 1-2 8, Alana Olson 0 0-0 0, Zoey Reese 0 0-0 0, Quinn Pennella 0 0-0 0, Grace Zelewicz 0 0-0 0, Bailey Bogart 0 0-2 0, Betheny Eberlin 0 0-0 0, Izzy Capriotti 0 0-0 0. Totals 9 2-6 25.
NORTHWEST (46) – Ashlyn Hermanofski 5 1-2 12, Ali Miner 3 0-0 7, Ava Ruckle 1 0-0 3, Natalia Ninotti 4 0-0 10, Arheya Williams 3 0-0 6, Jillian Bonham 1 0-0 3, Hartley Crawford 0 0-0 0, Callie Moyer 1 1-3 3, Natalie Mullins 1 0-0 2, Auria Daniel 0 0-0 0, Kendyl Miner 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 2-5 46.
Sullivan County`2`8`7`8 – 25
Northwest`18`12`11`5 – 46
Three-point goals: SC 5 (Fresno 3, Baldwin, McCarty). NWT 6 (Hermanofski, A.Miner, Ruckle, Ninotti 2, Bonham).
